Shot In The Dark
by Invader Johnny
Summary: The last thing Sam really wanted was a visit to the shrink and to add insult to injury a shrink in training; Jazz was only trying to help after all, DxS.


**_Shot In The Dark._**

 ** _Author: Invader Johnny._**

 ** _Summary: The last thing Sam really wanted was a visit to the shrink and to add insult to injury a shrink in training; Jazz was only trying to help after all, DxS._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Danny Phantom, it belongs to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon._**

 ** _Author Notes: Even thought I'm a faithful shipper of Danny/Ember, I decided to take a shot at writing for Sam, do tell me what you think, that being said this takes places during PP, right after Danny saved the world but before he gave Sam the "Wes" ring and into their "happily ever after."_**

* * *

Sam Manson fidgeted as she sat in a big pink bed that was Jazz's "office."

If anything it was anything but.

 _"Her bedroom hardly counts as an office, but I will give her points for giving the psychological aura."_

The goth girl was wary nonetheless, for every word would be assessed and every movement was being watched, although that probably had more do to with always having her guard up, ghost fighting hardly left her with any time to relax after all, not when she was the famous Danny Phantom's sidekick as far as the ghosts cared to acknowledge her.

And now she also had to keep her guard up from the paparazzi as well now that Fenton and Phantom were revealed to be one and the same after the disasteroid fiasco.

Since she was his best friend, Sam knew she would be in the spotlight as much as Danny for some time.

But for the time being, Sam put that aside and instead her mind was on her current predicament and how much she hadn't wanted to come here, well that's technically not true, she did like coming to Fenton Works as it was her home away from home but under these circumstances she felt as if she was under a hypothetical microscope.

She had been forced to make an "unscheduled stop" in the older girl's room.

 _"I just want to check on you."_ It was Jazz's excuse _"Just to see if you're ok."_

It annoyed Sam to say the least, she was perfectly fine, but she knew from experience that Jazz wouldn't take her word for it, she wanted to make sure.

Jazz suddenly entered her room with two sodas and a notebook.

 _"Speak of the devil."_

Glancing at the would-be shrink, who gave her a smile and the soda.

"Grape, just like you asked for Sam."

"Thanks."

Sam knew she was in for a therapy session, if it was anyone else, the goth wouldn't have given them two seconds, but this was Jazz, Danny's sister, she had known her for years, so Sam decided to give her the benefit of the doubt in this mock therapy.

 _"Perhaps it wouldn't be completely ridiculous."_ Sam thought _"This may do me some good."_

Meanwhile Jazz wasn't entirely sure where to begin or what to say, she was just observing Sam silently.

After a nervous cough, Jazz said. "Ok Sam, Erm... I think it would be a good idea not to think of this as a shrink visit, but rather talking to your friend."

"I assume whatever I say stays in this room?" The brunette half joked.

Jazz gave a small smile in return "Of course, but I'm not here as your shrink but at your friend, trust me when I say everything will be strictly confidential."

Sam exhaled; this was her chance to unleash all her secrets, without fear of them being leaked, she trusted Jazz's words after all. "Patient confidentiality." She chuckled dryly.

"Pretty much."

"You're going to keep your mouth shut even from the Earth's savior, you know... Your very own brother?"

"Danny doesn't know about this little reunion." Jazz replied "And even if he knew, I wouldn't tell him anything unless you're comfortable with that."

"Good... Good."

"It annoys you doesn't it?"

 ** _"Huh?"_** Sam raised an eyebrow.

"That the news keeps portraying you as the damsel in distress and that Danny is your hero."

"That sounds more like Paulina's fantasy." Sam sneered "He's my best friend Jazz... You know that, but he's not my hero... I would never be fawning over him like Paulina has."

"And I'm sure Danny knows that." Jazz said, writing something down in her notebook "Now, you call yourself the hero's best friend. If I recall, you're quite the hero, too."

"Nowhere near the level that Danny's at, he saves lives, fights ghosts and..."

"I wasn't referring to the superhero gig Sam." Jazz interrupted.

"Then _**what**_ were you talking about?"

"Do you have a good relationship with Danny?" Jazz asked instead, already knowing the question to that, but these questions were meant to play out a much bigger role if she played her cards right.

"How could I not?" Sam asked rhetorically. "I've been with him from the very beginning."

"So has Tucker." Jazz pointed out.

"I've been with him from the very beginning." Sam repeated forcefully "Helping him fight the Lunch Lady, Skulker, Vlad..."

"Again... I wasn't talking about the ghost fighting gig you guys have going on."

"Look, bottom line Jazz? I've been best friends with your brother since second grade of course we have a good relationship." She hesitated to continue, then looked uncomfortably at the redhead "Nothing I say leaves this room right?"

"Nope."

"Well... If I'm being honest with myself I… I don't really know if our relationship is more than just friends. You know?"

"Believe me, I _know_."

"How would **_you_** know?" Sam asked "Has Danny said anything... Anything at all?"

Jazz snorted "Hardly, come on Sam, we both know my little brother is way too clueless for that."

"True."

"That being said, anyone who isn't _him_ , **_has_** to be blind not to see the type of chemistry you two have."

Sam sighed and finally rested on the bed, thinking of Danny and their memories. "He's as strong as what I believe. But at the same time, I keep thinking, would be be the same person he is now if he didn't get inside the portal?"

"Probably not."

"Probably not."

"You made him a hero Sam."

"He didn't **_want_ ** to be a hero." She shot back "He wanted a _normal_ life and sometimes I... I feel as if I robbed him of that... I wish I could make him... Happier."

"Has it ever occurred to you that plans change?" Jazz asked "I remember that growing up, Danny wanted to be a sheriff then an astronaut and the moment he gained his ghost powers he yet again changed his path into an ectonaut."

"Ectonaut?"

"Danny made up the word." Jazz shrugs "Basically he wants to explore the ghost zone, but do you see what all of Danny's choices have in common?"

"Not really, no."

"All of Danny's 'career choices' are meant to help people in one way or another." Jazz said, "Don't you see Sam? All along he's been wanting to be a hero but was never really able to reach his full potential until you came along and encouraged him to enter the Fenton Portal... Think about that, you didn't rob him of a normal life, you put him in the path to be the hero he was always meant to be."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Jazz said. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I think we need to stabilize why you are so afraid of failing this relationship."

"What relationship?"

"Sam." The redhead said her friend's name with mild annoyance.

"Because I'd lose him." The goth reluctantly admitted.

"And don't want that." Jazz observed.

Sam snorted, "Obviously."

"This is a two way deal Sam, some risks are bound to come from the job you guys have, you're not alone, Danny would be terrified to lose you and not just in a ghost fight, but things would be less hectic now, no more hiding, Vlad's gone and even your parents are less judgmental towards my family and Danny in general, you can live a life with my brother."

"Are you seriously playing matchmaker now?"

"I'm serious Sam, It seems to everyone that you like Danny, maybe even love him; by the way your expression turns when you talk of him, the way your eyes light up and you become the goth bird of happiness. Your indecisiveness is not because you're afraid for you, but for him."

"I don't know." The younger girl muttered uncertainly "This is just too huge."

"Think of one last thing Sam, whether he makes the first move or you do, remember when I called you a hero?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow "What about it?"

"I wasn't calling you that just because of what you been through, but because Danny sees you as his hero."

Sam gaped at that piece of information.

"Remember that the next time you see him." Jazz said "Don't be afraid to take a step forward, because he sure won't be either."

She then got out of her room, leaving a baffled goth behind.

The moment Jazz was in the hallway, she noticed her brother phasing out of his room.

With a very familiar ring between his fingers.

Jazz couldn't help but grin.

 _"Looks like he'll be the one making the first move after all."_

* * *

 ** _Since Jazz meddled a lot in Danny's life early on the series, I decided to write a story where she tried to do the same thing in his "love life" because like many other characters in the series, she would see her brother and Sam as an item and would try to play Cupid using her psychology expertise, although since Danny didn't react well to the psychology approach in "My Brother's Keeper" then she would try to talk with Sam instead to make the relationship go forward, not knowing that Danny finally stopped being clueless_** ** _._**

 ** _so while the relationship between Danny and Sam was a big factor in the drive for this fic, I also wanted to try writing a friendly talk between Jazz and Sam since it annoyed me a lot how Sam treated Jazz during "Girl's Night Out."_**

 ** _So anyway, what are your final thoughts on this idea?_**

 ** _Good, bad, decent?_**

 ** _As always, constructive criticism is appropriated._**

 ** _Invader Johnny Signing Off._**


End file.
